The new Canada Food Guide recommends filling half your plate with them as part of a plant-based diet, but research from the University of B.C. shows some are moving in the wrong direction.

In a study published in Nutrients Thursday, researchers found Canadians were eating 13 per cent fewer fruits and vegetables in 2015 compared to 2004.

In 2004, Canadians reported having about 5.2 servings of fruit and vegetables a day but by 2015, they were eating just 4.6 servings daily.

Survey data showed the decrease was mostly due to fewer servings of vegetables, potatoes and fruit juices. It wasn’t all bad, though: Canadians increase how many dark green and orange vegetables they ate each day over the 11 years.

“It’s essential to look at what foods people are eating and whether food group intakes have changed over time to identify challenges and opportunities to promote healthier eating patterns among Canadians,” said study lead author and postdoctoral fellow in UBC’s food, nutrition and health program Claire Tugault-Lafleur.

“While some studies have recently reported trends in Canadians’ intake of macronutrients like energy and total sugars, nobody had looked at differences in food group intakes during this period.”